2021 Monsieur Etain Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon M. Étain is incredibly elegant and refined. This is the first vintage done with a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec and 11% Merlot. That combination yields a soft, open-knit wine that can be enjoyed upon release. Red/purplish fruit, cedar, tobacco, spice and dried herbs linger. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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A blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 11% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2021 M. Étain is a slightly different expression of the famed J.J. Cohn Estate in western Rutherford. Scents of deep loamy earth and dark fruit are joined by some brighter cherries on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with velvety tannins. This rides on the edge of super maturity yet remains fresh and vibrant, finishing silky and elegant.
No 2020s were produced at this estate due to the devastating wildfires. The good news is that the 2021s are as good as anything I've tasted from this producer and are two truly sensational wines. Starting with the 2021 M. tain, it checks in as a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec, 11% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. While it's the second wine of this estate, it really has its own signature, and it's as good or better than most Grand Vin. Pure cassis, spring flowers, violets, leafy tobacco, and lead pencil notes all emerge on the nose, and it's full-bodied, has a seamless, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and one heck of a great finish. It's gorgeous today and will be gorgeous in two decades as well.
About the producer
Scarecrow shot to fame with its debut 2003 vintage. The wine, named after the The Wizard of Oz character, is made exclusively from grapes from the J. J. Cohn vineyard in Napa’s Rutherford. Scarecrow is owned by Bret Lopez (J. J. Cohn’s grandson) and is very much a rarity in Napa.